The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1887-02-23
R 4 IT RI B U 7 0 N
BY 1.-THE DUCHESS"
CHAPTER TX.

ing when Lucy, Mllllccnts maid, rushed
sobbing into Mrs. Brands bedroom.
"Oh, mann, oh, my young lady! Oh
main! oh! poor Miss Millicentr'
"What! What is IT. Speak, girl"'
commands Mrs Brand, her face grow.
ing pale with nervous expectation.
"Oh, mann! that ! should live to see
this day! Oh, poor, dear Miss Grey!
Her as was fond of. Her as never said
II word unkind to mortal soul. TO see
her now, and 10 think that only yester.
day
"What do you mean, girl;" cries Mrs.
Brand. ringing the bell frantcally.
Good heavensl What has happened to
Miss Grey
"Oh, to only look at her, ma'm--l
thought I'd have dropped at her feet
when | pushed the door back, never
knowing why il was 81 hard 10 open and
she lying against 1t, with her poor
head
"rhc woman will drive me mad!' cries
Mrs. Brand in chokcd tone, and, hurry.
ing past her, made her way 10 Millicent's
bedroom
Already two or three servants have
gathered there. The door is open, and
they are STOPPING over something lying
on the floor almost Immediately beyond
the threshold
Mrs. Brand, with little cry, and pale
and trembling, PUSHES forward, the SER
wants part involuntarily, and there lying
upon the ground, to all appearance life
less, lies Millicent. Her head is thrown
backward. and one hand is tightly
clinchcd.
"She is fanting. Ii is only faintrr
cried Mrs. Brand, with an anguish in her
"What are you all standing idle there
fory' turning upon the terrified women.
elias no one thought OF sending for a
doctor"
She is down on her knees now beside
the pale still form, and has raised the
cold head on her arm.
Eyes, nam; James has gone for a
doctor" sobs the houscmaid ncrvously.
"lIelp me to lift her. So! OH be gen
tie girl! Thereon her bed. Pull up
the blindS-what are they down for at
this hour'-one would think she was
dendH'
She says this vehemently, with "A sort
Of defiance But the awful word is too
much for her-it has hardly passed her
lips when her fictitious anger gives way,
she bursts into tears, and, falling on her
knees beside the bed, she stretches ont
her arms to the unconscious body.
"Ohl NY child Ny pretty girl! What
il it, What has happened TO your Oh,
Milliccnt, speak to me,'
The doctor entering at this moment,
she Gains herself by n supreme effort, for
in truth the poor woman is terribly un-
neryed--no smallest suspicion of tragedy
having ever come near her before, in all
her calm, easy, luxurious life.
I'll m haH' says DIR. Thesby, shifting
about him suspciously as he walks
lightly TO the bedside and stoops over Mil
ncent. "Young lady been playing
pranks with chloroform'
'Oh, no. impossible" eXclaims Mrs.
Brand Indeed, hardly think there is
any in the house. Certai lly none that is
not under lock and key in my own room"
Nevertheless, there Is chloroform
here. or has been" says the doctor, sniff
fling again. He has been examining Mill
cent while speaking and now calls for
certain things TO be brought him by the
attending servants. Seeing Mrs. Brands
distress. he turns kindly TO her. II can't
quite make il out yet, but pray compose
yourself. my dear madame. Your niece
is by no means beyond the power Of man
yet"
And, indeed, at the expiration of half
an hour or SO Millicent is 50 far recoy-
cred rs 10 be able TO smile upon them,
and whisper word or two To her aunt.
"No whispering, | think-no con-
fidences just yet" says DIR. Thesby, rub
bling his hands. Though agree with
you, my dear lady, that no time should
be lost about seeing into this--er-truly
extraordinary affair. What dye say, my
good woman," turning sharply To one OF
the maids.
"A handkerchief, ehf Picked up by
your Lying ON Miss Grey's face--or
partly sog ehS ehf Think what you are
saying now, my good girl, as | dare say
you will have TO repeat it pretty often
later ON
Yes The girl had picked it up when
first she stopped over Miss Grey. IL
was not exactly on her face, but looked
as If it had slipped of it.
The doctor folding it neatly, puts IL in
his breast pocket. Important evidence,
madamel If you will permit me, will
take charge of it. Heavily saturated
with chloroform, should say, from the
strength of the aroma that still clings to
it.n
"Let me see it," says Millicent sud
denly, in voice so much stronger and
Win SUN VII paw lutc
that the doctor thinks il better to accede
10 her request, while still entreating her
to "Be calm!-be calm! and above all
things TO he calm'
"As it, said NIillicent afterward to
Nadine, "any one could be expected to
be calm who had Just escaped being muir
dered, and had had the finest sapphires
in Enlgand stolen from herr"
The handkerchief is a large, coarse,
common one, white in color, and of such
texture as might be used by respect
able artisan on a holiday making.
at is a clew," says the doctor trium-
phantly; but Millicent, though she could
not have put her conviction into words,
feels that it will never help to bring the
real offender to justice.
"But what brought the man here
that is what | want to know" demands
Mrs. Brand, with a little spreading Of
her hands, when the doctor has called
some hours later to find his patient has
been sleeping quietly during his absence,
and has only reused to consciousness
again upon his entrance.
mot p word have let her speak-not
a word )" says Mrs. Brand, with very par
donable pride, considering the extent Of
her curiosity.
well, i must speak now, murmurs
Millicent still very feebly, but with o
decided increase Of strength that the
doctor finds very satisfactory.
"Why, we shall have her downstairs
in no time" declares he jovially.
Then Millicent launches into descrip-
ton of the man who had thrown hand
kerchief over her face and left her to
live or die, as chance dictated, while he
made good his escape. II is this infor-
nation that calls forth from Mrs Brand
the question as to what brought him into
her house ut all that unseemly midnight
hour.
"Ahl auntie" says the girl, looking
at her out of her cushioned arm chair
with great pathetic eyes that have grown
greater because of the regretful tears
that are filling them. "Do you not
know DO you not guessS When you
opened my hand, and the sapphire locket
dropped out, did You guess nothing then''